The 3rd Supporters'
Club Fans Forum of the season was held in Shooters on Thursday 19 March 1999.
RFC were represented by Tommy Burns, Nigel Howe, Boyd Butler, Clive Doyle (Safety)
and Ray Booth. About 120 fans were present. As the Forum lasted 2 hours this
report is a precis of what new or interesting information came out of Martin
Brailli's notes or my memory.

The first half
was 'off the pitch'.
- John Madejski expected back early June

- RFC will
be the first club to experiment with electronic season tickets, credit card
style. Trials start Sat in North Stand only. The card can last for years, be
programmed for specific games and monitors crowd arrival times.

- Gillingham
away moved at Gills request. RFC did not have a strong counter argument to put
to the FL. Inconveniencing 3000 Berkshire folk not sufficient apparently.

- There's no
comeback against pitch supplier who advised against playing rugby on it for
the first year. But the worst of the deteroriation is over, expect to start
next season with a thicker growth. There will be less activity on it next season;
no mini rugby, no football training.

- 'embarrassing
to see people get wet in an all-seater' but the perspex shield in an earlier
design had to be rejected or the pitch would have suffered even more. No obvious
solution to this.

- Some seats
now installed in East Concourse, also some shelving on a trial basis. No significant
improvements planned short term as priority for money is players.

- Income derived
from Richmond's tenancy is c £400k and considered to be worth it in the
light of RFC's current profit and loss account. Cost of staging matches was
very approx £2000 at EP, £10,000 at MS.

- Access to
stadium still problematic. Road not ready til June. Club to take up other access/egress
issues with Council soon.

- fans sponsorship
of kit items will be re-considered for next season, possibly with lower price
items available

- general agreement
from the Forum that we would like a band playing at matches. Volunteers please
get in touch.

- Stewards
should move away fans who have got in home sections and frequently have done
so quietly. There was a problem not addressed at the PNE game which was wrong.
In theory, stewards should be told about this, they tell the Control room and
a plan of action is decided.

- After match
problems v PNE. Clive Doyle said it was illegal for away fans to be kept in
and also a breach of our safety something. At Man City they ASKED away fans
to stay behind and we did so. Clive will look at doing this here. Otherwise
the solution is down to good policing and different exits. One fan pointed out
this could be mightily inconvenient.

- at the interval
RFSC Chairman listed the numerous areas where progress had been made on suggestions
since the last Forum, and the few where it hadn't.
But generally a good score.

- Tommy Burns
said Mark McKeever was not for sale but the situation might change now Wednesday
had bought another leftsided player. He would nag Danny Wilson to keep him til
the end of the season.

- Adam Lockwood
was beginning to get talked about so was signed up on a 4 year deal.

- Tommy admitted
he had seen very little Div 1/2 football and was learning "from torture"
(according to these notes!). He felt the standard was very good with a lot of
decent players but some could look ordinary under pressure. If RFC played in
Scotland he felt we might hold our own in the Premier League there.

- He felt Murty
would be more suited to playing from deep rather than as an out and out winger.
He believed in wide players but it doesn't matter exactly who puts the crosses
in.

- He had tried
to get fees for the players who left but nobody was making offers. He felt Neville
Roach would make a career in the game but was not at the 'next level up' he
was looking for. He wanted to sign other teams' best players, not their 3rd/4th
choices but nobody wanted to sell. Hearts had inquired about McIntyre but, for
similar reasons, Tommy said no. There followed 15 minutes of 'name the next
striker' as fans shouted who they wanted and Tommy said 'no tried that.'

- players well
aware that fans now sensed play off possibilities but he was going to 'take
each game as it comes.'

Thanks to everyone
who came along.
I hope you enjoyed it and that I've got the main points down.